Kathmandu, 14 Aug.: A day after the Office of the Prime
Minister and Council of Ministers directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to
investigate the murder of Krishna Prasad Adhikari, Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman
Pushpa Kamal Dahal today said some people with vested interests were
exaggerating the issue ‘to derail the peace process’. Adhikari of Fujel VDC in
Gorkha was killed by Maoist cadres nine years ago.

Dahal issued a press statement today saying if a particular case of conflict
era ‘is blown out of proportion, his party will be forced to take strong
action’. He stopped short of elaborating it though. Dahal said the Chitwan
chapter of his party had already clarified about Adhikari’s case, and
therefore, it should be settled by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Dahal said he urged chairman of the interim election government Khil Raj Regmi
today not to move ahead with the investigation. Dahal said that then rebel side
was accountable for 20 per cent of conflict-era deaths and disappearances.

He said all the accused, including Januka Poudel against whom an FIR has been
lodged, had nothing to do with the case concerning Adhikari. When asked to name
the cadres of the party who might have killed Adhikari, Dahal said, “I do not
know the names but I know for sure that these persons who have been named in
the FIR are innocent.”

Dahal said if the war-era cases were opened under ordinary criminal procedure,
thousands of cases could be filed. Dahal said those persons who were against
the formation of TRC were raising the issue on the eve of elections.

“The National Human Rights Commission has directed the government to
investigate the murder and the government has directed the ministry to that
effect without knowing the sensitivity of the case. Our party condemns this,”
Dahal said.

The Office of the Attorney General, he argued, had decided a few months ago
that the case should be settled by the TRC. Januka Poudel, against whom an FIR
has been lodged, said she was innocent. She said she was never a part of the
Maoist army and that the day Krishna Adhikari was killed, she was busy nursing
her newborn baby. Poudel said slain Adhikari’s elder brother Nur Adhikari was
issuing threats against her and her family.

Krishna’s parents Nanda Prasad and Ganga Maya,
have been staging a hunger strike, demanding action against the guilty.

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MAOIST CHIEF’S REMARKS DRAW CRITICISM

Kathmandu, 14 Aug.: Human
rights activists and lawyers have taken serious exception to Unified CPN-Maoist
Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s remarks in relation to the investigation into the
murder of Krishna Adhikari of Fujel, Gorkha, The Himalayan Times reports..

Dahal today objected to the government directives to probe into the
nine-year-old murder. The government yesterday had asked the Ministry of Home
Affairs to start investigation as per the recommendation of the National Human
Rights Commission.

Lawyers said Dahal’s remarks stood as a threat to the rule of law, as political
interference does not promote the course of justice. “Transitional justice is
but a complementary mechanism for strengthening justice and Dahal must
understand this fact,” they said. Stating that the apex court has already
directed the government authorities not to hinder the investigation process in
many other cases, the lawyers claimed that it would be unconstitutional to stop
the investigation.

In Dekendra Thapa’s murder case and many other cases, including Leeladhar
Bhandari vs GON, the apex court had directed the Office of the Prime Minister
and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Nepal Police
Headquarters to continue with the investigation into cases that occurred during
the time of armed conflict.

NHRC Commissioner Gauri Pradhan called on political parties not to politicise
any incident. “NHRC has been making its efforts as per the constitution and the
law. NHRC itself is a constitutional and legal authority therefore its decision
cannot obstruct the peace process,” Pradhan added.